pennington



Oct' 11,1932 M. E. PENNINGTON CONDITIONING SYSTEM'FOR COLD STORAGE ROOMS Filed 001;. 18

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'Patented oat. `11, 1932 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to` air conditioning systems for cold storage rooms and has for an object a system for controlling the hu'- midity ofthe air, regulating the flow of the air and insuring uniformity of temperature throughout the room.

According to this-invention, the storage room is provided with the usual refrigera- -tion pipes and one or more air ducts are provided in close proximity to the refrigeration pipes and vents are provided'in the ducts through which air escapes into the vicinity of the refrigeration pipes. Vertical return :air spouts are provided near the walls of the storage room and extend nearly to the floor. These spouts are connected with the inlet of a blower, the outlet of which discharges into the air supply duct. There is also provided at suitable location in the room one or more steam pipes and in addition one or more pipes are provided for spraying Y moisture into the room in the form of a very line spray. By meansl of the air ducts and blower allthe air in the room may be redistributed as often as the good keeping of the commodities in the room requires. Moisture is introduced into the circulating air at such points that it is carriedover the goods stored in the room. The complete and governed circulation ofy the air provides uniform. temperature throughout the storage room thereby eliminating high temperatures in the corners or against outside walls-and unifying the temperature at the top and bottom of the wall, and also brings moisture, when desired, into contact with the goods.

Excess moisture may be 4removed from the air in the 'storage room without reducing the temperature `by introducing 1sufficient additional refrigeration inthe refrigeration pipes to freeze out the moisture and introducing sufficient heat by means of steam in the steam pipes to counteract the cooling effect of the additional refrigeration. This arrangement permits the removal of moisture in rooms kept at a temperature considerably above freezing.

In addition, the humidity in a storage room maintained at temperature below freezing, may be increased by introducing water E. PENNING'roN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONDITIONING SYSTEM ron coLD STORAGE Rooivrs Application led October 18, 1929.' Serial No. 400,510.

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ing drawing, wherein:

arrangements.

A bank of in a very fine' spray into thecurrent of air flowing from the supply duct to the return vspouts. The particles of water entering the air are so finely divided that they not only float, but almost instantlyl freeze. `The ice thus formed is carried throughout the room and subsequently vaporizes in accordance with the physical law governingthe vaporization of ice. The vapor serves to maintain the desired humidity within the storage Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specicationand accompany- Fig. 1' is a vertical section through the storage room equipped with a refrigeration system embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, and

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section.

. The drawing discloses an arrangement of pipes suitable for a room approximately 75 feet by 100 feet. In rooms of different dimensions the pipes may be differently arranged and a greater or less number of pipes used, al1 depending upon the arrangement which will give the most eflicient results for the particular room. The functioning of the apparatus will, however, be similar in all refrigeration pipe/s 10is supported near the ceiling of the storage room in the usual manner. Air ducts 11 arearranged lalong the sides ofthe assembly of refrigeration pipes and extend substantially parallel thereto. Each duct is provided with a plurality of vents 12 'which may be provided with .shutters 13. At one end the ducts 11' communicate with a blower 14 by vmeans of which air is -forced into the ducts and through the vents 12. -A pair of return ducts 15 are suspended from the ceiling near the -walls of the room and communicate with the inlet of the blower 14. Vertical spouts 16 dependyfrom the ducts 15'along the side walls 95 of the room nearly to the floor and are provided at their lower ends with hoods 17. Air introduced into the storage room through the vents 12 passes 'through the room to the hoods 17 through which it then is returned to the blower 14. The air is chilled sel by the refrigeration pipes 10 and is uniform- ,ly distributed throughout the room due to the circulation system, the room being maintained at substantially uniform temperature.

Within the room are provided one or more steam pipes 18which may be located in any suitable position, for example,near and parallel to the air return ducts,15. Where desirable, these steam pipes may be located at other suitable 'or convenient positions. These pipes are connected to any suitable steam su ply (not shown). One or more groups o pipes consisting of a Water pipe 19, an air pipe 2O and a steam pipe 21 are suspended in the vicinity of the refrigeration pipes andthe air ducts 11. At intervals there are provided atomizers 22 which communicate both with the water pipe 19 and air .pipe 20. By means of these atomizers, a very fine spray of water may be introduced into the currents of air flowing from the air ducts 11. The steam in the pipes 21 heats the Water in the pipes 19 sufficiently to prevent freezing thereof and may even keep the same slightlyv warm.

Fresh air for ventilation may be introduced into the storage room in any desired manner, for example, through a pipe 23,

which leads either to the return air ducts 15 or air inlet ducts 11. The air introduced through this pipe preferably is cooled by first being passed over refrigeration coils provided at any suitable location in the system. Ozone may be introduced into the system through a pipe 24 for deodorizing and freshening the room. This gas may be manufactured by a suitable machine located outside the storage -room and supplied to thel air return ducts 15 or air inlet ducts 11. The necessary amount of ozone will be evenly distributed continuously throughout the room.

By proper location and size of the various elements of the circulation system all the air in the room may be re-distributed as often as necessary andthe circulation of the air can be completed and governed. The temperature of the space inthe storage room in which goods are piled may be kept within a maximum variation of 1 F. and the temperature throughout the room may be maintained uniform. l

The system above described may be used to increase the humidity of the air in a cold storage room maintained at a temperature of 32 F. or below. Water'is sprayed into the air from the pipes 19 through the atomizers 22, the Water in the pipes being maintained slightly above freezing temperature by heat supplied from the steam in the pipes 21. The water is thus sprayed into the air at approxilmately freezing temperature and is immedi- `freezing temperatures. The water vapor thu s produced supplies the necessary moisture to keep the humidity of the room at the desiredy degree. As the moisture introduced into the) room at no time becomes liquid, the'surfaces of the floor, walls, packages and commodities in the room are maintained free from liquid water and the very detrimental features of wet surfaces are avoided."

This system may also be used to reduce the humidity in a cold storage room without alternation of temperature. LThis is accomplished by increasing the flow of refrigerant through the pipes 10, thereby increasing condensation and freezin on thel pipes of excess moist-ure in the air. t the same time, steam is passed throughv the pipe 21 to diffuse sufficient heat into the air to counteract the cooling` effect of the additional refrigeration and thus prevent decrease of temperature. The temperature in the room may be retained'constant by maintaining a balance between the additional refrigerant supplied to the pipes This ar- Vrangement makes it possible easily tof deand the heat diffused into the room.

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of steam through the pipes 21 cut off. Valve 28 constitutes means for controlling the rate of flow of the refrigerant in pipes 10.

The foregoing system permits uniform maintenance of temperature, humidiication and de-humidifieation lof the air at will and accurate government of the How' of air in the storage room. Also both atmospheric air `and ozone can be added quantitatively and evenly distributed throughout the entire storage space. A s shown in Fig. 1, a portable humidifier may be used instead of a permanent installation. lThis portable humidifier preferably comprises a tank 25 mounted on a suitable truck by means of which it may be moved about the room as desired.y The tank is provided with an aspirator 27 to which may be connected one end of an air hose, the other end of which is connected toA any suitable ,source of compressed air. This arrangement ment above disclosed is merely an illustration and that various other arrangements may be utillzed, Without in any way departing from of the air in a cold storage chamber mainl tained at freezing temperature or lower, the

the spirit of the invention as defined in the yappended claims. A greater or less number of air ducts, steam/pipes and water supply pipes may be used as conditions require and the arrangement of these pipes may be varied to meet the conditions existing in any particular room. Meansother than steam pipes may be used for preventing freezing of water in the pipes and for supplying heat to prevent alteration of temperature during a period of dehumidiiication.

I claim: K

l. In a system for increasing the humidity combination of refrigeration pipes, means -for uniformly circulating air through all parts of the chamber, va water supply pipe provided with atomizers for introducing water into the circulating air in the form of a very fine spray thereby forming minute ice particles floating in the air and edecting increase in the degree of humidity by change l" so into vaporous condition by sublimation, and means for maintaining the water in said pipe above freezing temperature. 4

2. In a system for increasing the humidity of the airin a cold storage room maintained at freezing temperature orlower, the combination of a bank of refrigeration pipes located near the ceiling of the chamber, an air duct having vents for discharging air into the vicinity of said refrigeration pipes, a blower for supplying air to said duct, a return air duct communicating with the inlet of said blower, said return air duct having a plurality of vertical spouts terminating near the floor of said chamber, a water supply pipe provided with atomizers for introducing water into the circulating air in theform of a very fine spray thereby forming minute ice particles floating in the air and effecting increase in the degree of humidity by change into vaporous condition by sublimation, and means for maintaining the water in said pipe above freezing temperature.

3. In a system for reducing the degree of humidity of air in a cold storage room without effecting appreciable change in the temperature of the room, a bank of refrigeration pipes` a refrigerant flowing through said pipes to maintain the air in the chamber in a chilled condition, means for increasing the flow of refrigerant through said pipes to effect increased condensation thereon of moisture fromthe air in the' room, an air duct having vents for discharging air into the vicinity of said refrigeration pipes, a blower for supplying air to said duct, a

return air duct communicating with-the in-` letl of said blower7 said ducts' having a'gplurality of vertical spouts terminating near the Hoor of the room, and means for introducing heat into'the circulating air during Athe condensation period to balancevthe 1n-` pipe provided with atomizers for introducing water into the circulating air, and heat supplymeans adjacent said water pipe to maintain water therein above freezing temperature. c

5. A system for controlling.- the degree of humidity of air in a cold storage chamber which comprises a bank of refrigeration pipes arranged near the ceiling of the chamber, an air duct having vents for discharging air into the vicinity of said lrefrigeration pipes, a blower for supplying air to said duct, a return air duct communicating with the inlet of said blower, said duct having a plurality of spouts terminating near the floor of the room, a water pipe, an air pipe and a steam pipe supported within the room adjacent one another, and atomizers communicating both with the water pipe and the 'air pipe for spraying water into the air currents.

6. In a humidifying system for a cold storage chamber, the combination-of refrigeration means for maintaining the air in the chamber at freezing temperature orI lower,

means for introducing water in the liquid y state into the air in the chamber in the form of a very fine spray which will instantlyyoo atomizer located to spray water into the chamber, means for supplying water to said atomizer, and means for maintaining the water in the liquid state until it has been released by said atomizer. J

v 8.- In a humidifying system for a cold storage chamber, the combination of` refrigeration means for maintaining the air in the chamber at freezing temperature or lower, anA

atomizer located to spray .water into the chilled air, and adapted to form the water into a mist so fine that it will fioat'in the air,

izo

means for supplying water to said atomizer and means for maintaining the water in the liquid state until it has been released by said atomizer.

y 9. In a humidifying system for a cold storagechamber, the combination of refrigeration means for maintaining the air in the chamber at freezing temperature o r lowerv and means for introducing Water in the liquid state into the air in the chamber in the form of a very fine spray, the particles of the spray'being so small that they will float in the chilled air.

l0. A method for conditioning the air in a cold storage. chamber, which consists in maintaining the air in the chamber at freezing temperature or lower,lintroducing Water into the air in the form of a fine spray to produce ice particles floating in the air, and circulating the ice laden air through all parts ofthe chamber thereby increasing the degree of humidity of theairin the chamber by the y conversion of the ice particles into water vapor by sublimation.

11. In a system for reducing the degree of humidity of air.in a cold storage chamber without effecting appreciable change in the average temperature of the room, the combination of refrigeration pipes, a refrigerant flowing through said pipes to maintain the air in the chamber in a chilled condition, means for increasing the rate of flow of said refrigerant to effect increased condensation thereon of moisture from the air, means for circulating air through all parts of the chamber and around said pipes, and means for introducing heat into the circulating air during thecondensation period to balance the increased cooling effect of said refrigerant.

12. The method for decreasing the degree of humidity of air in a cold storage room provided with pipes having a refrigerant running therethrough Without effecting appreciable change in the average temperature of the room, which comprises circulating air through all parts ofthe chamberand around the refrigeration pipes, increasing the rate of f How of said refrigerant to eect increased condensation on the pipes of the moisture in the air, and introducing heat into the circu- Vlating air during the condensation period to balance the increased cooling etfectof said refrigerant.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MARY EUPENNINGTCN. 

